Spc. Robert Fay Jr., an infantryman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), is the third Soldier to be part of the Rakkasans in his family; following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps.

In USAREC's geographically dispersed command, leaders, Soldiers and families alike rely heavily on their Soldier and Family Assistance program manager, or SFA, to fill the shoes of an entire Army Community Service office. Located in each recruiting brigade and battalion headquarters, a single SFA provides his or her families the whole gamut of services available on an installation.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 6, 2013) -- A local operating room nurse is lending his much-needed skills to the military. Preston Crider, who works full-time at Trinity Medical Center, took the oath of office Tuesday and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.

General Robert W. Cone, who commands the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command, visited the Clarksville Army Recruiting Center March 2. He spoke with the center's recruiters and was given a briefing by its leaders.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit continued its full-fledged support of America's youth when it hosted the 2013 U.S. Army National Junior Air Rifle Championship, Feb. 25-27, at the unit's world-class Pool Indoor Range at Fort Benning, Ga.

The USAREC commanding general opened the command's Feb. 14 town hall at Waybur Theater with a thank you to his headquarters staff for their hard work, dedication and support for the more than 8,000 noncommissioned officers executing the recruiting mission across the nation.

Capt. Scotty Smiley lost his sight following an explosion in Iraq. He wondered whether he would be able to continue serving his country. Today, as an assistant professor of military science at Gonzaga University, he is showing future leaders how to succeed.

Most people know the Army has hundreds of recruiting centers across the United States, but few realize there is also a Virtual Recruiting Center tucked inside the Recruiting Command headquarters, sifting through an average of 233 enlistment applications per day.

Brainerd (Tenn.) High School's Torrey Sales has become a familiar face around
Chattanooga, Tenn. -- he recently graced a city billboard. On the cusp of graduating near the top of his class, a life-changing choice years ago solidified his path to success.

A researcher at The University of Mississippi Medical Center and future Army doctor, Joel Fahling took the oath of office and swore in as a second lieutenant Feb. 5. Fahling begins medical school this fall on the Army Health Professions Scholarship Program.

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Jan. 14, 2013) -- The sun is high above and its heat is beating down on an M119A2 Howitzer and its nine-man team at Camp Clark, Afghanistan.
As a radio squawks aloud, all nine men repeat the words they wait to hear day-in and day-out.
"Fire mission!"
"Living the dream boys," says Spc. Taylor Barnes, the gunner for the M119A2 Howitzer.
Even though it is a training mission to help qualify forward observers, to the men behind the artillery gun it makes no difference.

"As an Army, we should be seeking the best qualified and most talented individuals and match them against the requirements for the Army, regardless of gender," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III.

The U.S. Army selected three students from the Southern College of Optometry as recipients of the Army's Health Professions Scholarship Program. They took the oath of office today at a ceremony at the school.

Being a chaplain's assistant wasn't the job Spc. Kimberly Latimer-Ellison really wanted when she enlisted in the Army More than two years ago. She really wanted to be a supply clerk, but that military occupational specialty wasn't available, so she was offered the position of chaplain assistant.

During Viva Technology Day, students at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles participated in hands-on competitive, educational challenges. They worked in teams led by college students and Corps of Engineers interns who major in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Fort Bragg Soldiers participated in the Earnhardt-Ganssi Pit Crew Challenge at the 525 Battlefield Surveillance Brigade motor Jan. 18. The event was organized by the Fort Bragg Garrison Community Relations Division in conjuction with the Earnhardt-Ganassi Pit Crew Team to provide Soldiers with an insight into NASCAR pit crew teamwork in a friendly environment.

In the brush and brambles near Gate 1, 24 Calvin College students lay facedown in the dirt, performing pushups and rowers as Soldiers called cadence. "So far it's going great," said Jenna Heethuis, a junior, as she performed a windmill exercise.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey signed a memo Jan. 24, 2013, paving the way for more women to serve in direct combat roles and in more military occupational specialties that are now open only to males.

SAN ANTONIO -- The U.S. Army showed off its latest technology advancements, including the Containerized Kitchen that can serve three hot meals a day for up to 800 soldiers, at the Army All-American Bowl Jan. 5.

Pvt. Cicely Verstein, 21, did not give much thought to her place in history when she enlisted in the Army. The Pennsylvania native said she was looking for a job she thought was interesting, but will soon become the first woman in the Army to repair the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Few community leaders understand how the Army trains physicians, cares for the wounded, feeds Soldiers and sustains a high quality of life for Soldier Families. During pregame activities of the U.S. Army All American Bowl, 50 selected centers of influence from throughout the nation toured Fort Sam Houston Jan. 3.

The Rotary Club of San Antonio hosted the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Awards Dinner at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in San Antonio, to celebrate the achievements of the All-American athletes and to honor Army Soldiers' and their families, Jan. 4, 2013.

Two Cadets from San Antonio schools and one from Michigan took the oath of office in a pre-game ceremony before the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game, on the Alamodome field before thousands of football fans.

Sgt. 1st Class Mariela Richardson never meant to be the top Army Reserve recruiter, she just did what she was told. Her first sergeant instructed her to prepare to appear before a quarterly board. That eventually led to her appearance before a battalion, brigade and finally a command board.

Gen. Robert W. Cone, TRADOC commanding general, spoke to the Soldier Heroes participating in the All-American Bowl Week on three main points: Establishing the conditions for the Army in 2014, focusing on preparedness rather than short-term readiness, and the Army Profession.

Army garrison leaders from multiple installations reached out to dozens of educators, business executives and community leaders from across the country during U.S. Army All-American Bowl week activities to show how the Army creates a home for Soldiers and their families.

The "Army Strong" message got a big boost this week as Soldier heroes, about 90 of the nation's top high school football players and their coaches, about 150 band members, a number of drill sergeants and many others converged in San Antonio for 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl activities.

It was early on a summer morning in Afghanistan as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark Foschetti and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike McGann headed back toward Bagram Airfield, when their morning changed in a way they'd never forget.

Community leaders and educators get a first-hand look at the life of the Army's famed Golden Knights. Though weather prevented them from the jumping Thursday, the VIPs still raved about their experience.

Rockne Belmonte, a Cadet with Northern Michigan University, is preparing for a shot a playing professional football. A kicker, he holds the record for Northern Michigan's longest field goal at 58 yards.

To remain at the forefront of readership trends and the ever-changing news landscape, the U.S. Army launched mobile-optimized site enhancements, topic pages and iOS app capabilities as part of its award-winning Army Strong Stories blogging and story-telling platform.

The number-one recruited high school quarterback and cornerback paid a call on the Army chief of staff and the sergeant major of the Army, Dec. 11, 2012, where the two football players learned firsthand about the tradition of excellence behind command coins and how to accept them in a handshake.

As Cadet Command looks at retooling the way it teaches Cadets, putting greater emphasis on critical thinking, several programs are incorporating techniques that help future second lieutenants become more effective in handling different situations.

The command is helping to increase opportunities for sustainment Soldiers by developing credentialing programs for 27 of its 57 military occupational specialties. One of the ways CASCOM is supporting professional credentialing of its service members is through the U.S. Army Ordnance School's Allied Trade Specialist (91E) course.

The first few weeks of Basic Combat Training can be disorienting for new Soldiers. If changes in environment and responsibilities weren't confusing enough, there's also a battery of new skills and disciplines to be learned in a short amount of time.

The number of ROTC programs using the Army's flagship gaming engine more than doubled this year and looks to increase even more next year.
The engine -- called Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) -- helps prepare Soldiers for numerous warfighting tasks.

"Where do you want to be in five years?" asked Command Sgt. Maj. Kennis J. Dent, Army Communications-Electronics Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
He addressed more than 70 students enrolled in the Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, students at Havre de Grace Middle School to discuss the importance of getting a college education and how to best achieve their goals.

Some people search their entire life for signs telling them what to do. For Erika Espeseth, it was a billboard for military chaplaincy that pointed her in the direction she had been searching for. She finally knew what she wanted in life: a life of ministry and service.

Soldiers from Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 50 in all, shared the unique opportunity of re-enlisting on the playing field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., before the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs military appreciation game, Nov. 18, 2012.

Chicago remembered its Nation's Veterans this past Sunday, November 11, as the National Football League's (NFL) Chicago Bears hosted its annual Veterans Day game at Soldier Field, this year playing the Houston Texans.
The military participation, coordinated by the Army Public Affairs Mid-West office, included members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and Pentagon representatives.

The Strength in Action Tour challenged students both physically and mentally at three area high schools in Wisconsin. The traveling asset visited Tomah, Wausau West and Wausau East High Schools giving students the chance to test themselves during interactive fitness and educational challenges.

"Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army are critical in connecting our Army with the American public, " said Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal while discussing the future of the Army with 36 Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army during the 2012 CASA Fall Conference.

What started out as a simple visit to the Veterans representative at Chicago State University to promote prior service and Army Reserve opportunities turned into a radio gig for recruiters from the Midtown and Southside Chicago Recruiting Stations.

Recruiters at the Merrillville, Ind., Army Recruiting Station have initiated a special ceremony for Future Soldiers prior to shipping out to basic training, according to the Center Commander, Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Castro.

The Southern California Recruiting Battalion and the City of Coronado, Calif., teamed up to employ Army veterans during a Partnership for Youth Success signing ceremony at the Coronado City Hall, Sept. 18, 2012.

The Medical Recruiting Brigade has enjoyed success in a very difficult mission for the Army: recruiting medical professionals -- including physicians, dentists, veterinarians and nurses, as well as chaplains, warrant officers and Special Operations Soldiers.